Military Battles 1845 Battle of Eutaw Springs

Robert Hinshelwood - Immigrating to America around 1835 from England, Robert Hinshelwood was a landscape painter, etcher and engraver and was best known for his engravings of landscapes. He worked for publishing houses including Harpers and also did bank note engraving for Continental Bank Note Company.

Short Title:

Battle of Eutaw Springs

Full Title:

Battle of Eutaw Springs

Source:

Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature and Art; Editor: George R. Graham

Size of Map:

15 x 25.5 cm. approximately (5.91 x 10.04 in.)

Description:

Battle of Eutaw Springs - September 8, 1781 (Wood Emgraving) - Battle during American War of Independence. Leaving the pursuit of Cornwallis to Washington and the French, a force under Major-General Nathanael Greene moved into South Carolina, where British garrisons and Loyalist forces held much of the state. Greene was defeated at Hobkirk's Hill (25 April) and failed to capture the main remaining British fortress (Fort Ninety-Six), but despite these failures, the British position began to weaken. A pursuit of Greene failed, and Fort Ninety-Six had to be abandoned. The British withdrew to the coast and Greene followed.
At Eutaw Springs, Greene, with around 2,200 men, came across a British camp under Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Stewart. The American force formed up in two lines, with the militia in the front line, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia regulars in the second. A British bayonet charge broke the centre of the American first line. The situation was temporarily restored by the North Carolina Continentals until they too were broken by a British charge, but the Virginia and Maryland troops were sent into the breach and not only repelled the British camp, but forced a general retreat, with the British in some disorder.

The Americans now came into the British camp, where most of them now stopped to plunder the British supplies. The tables now turned again. At the north-east corner of the camp was a strong brick house now defended by the remaining British battalion, commanded by Major John Marjoribanks. This battalion had driven off the American cavalry before pulling back to the brick house. Attempts to capture the house failed, and Marjoribanks was able to restore some order to the rest of the British force. With the newly restored force he was able to drive the American loots from the British camp. One American battalion now returned the favor, and delayed the British advance, allowing the American army to retreat without suffering a rout. The British held the field, and suffered less casualties than the Americans - 85 killed compared to 138 American dead and 41 missing.

Despite the military victory, overall the result of Greene's operations was to force the British to abandon most of their conquests in the South, leaving them isolated in Charleston and Savannah. The British attempt to pacify the south with the aid of the Loyalists had failed, even before the surrender at Yorktown.

References:

Military History Encyclopedia on The Web (http://www.historyofwar.org);The American Revolution in South Carolina… (http://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_eutaw_springs.html)